Not Much of a Vacation
by RachetRiolu
Summary: Zelos wasn't much used to having family around. But when his younger cousin is sentenced to a vacation in Meltokio, there's not much Zelos can do about it, except welcome his cousin with open arms, and have fun. That's if they don't kill each other first.
1. Not Much of a Vacation

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Tales of Symphonia, Abyss, or any other Tales works. They are the sole property of the Namco Tales Studio. I do not make any profit from the writing of this story.

A/N: I haven't seen too many fics crossing Tales games over, so I figured I'd give one a shot. Jeez, I just wish my writing was up to par. I haven't written anything in years. Heh. I'm sure I'll get my groove back in no time, though. Review if you want. Any and all reviews are welcome. Well, here it is.

* * *

**Not Much of A Vacation**

**Part 1**

"I can't believe this." the Viscount of Kimlasca sighed, resting his head on his crossed forearms. His small furry companion giggled in response, rocking back and forth beside him. Its ears twitched before it spoke.

"It's not so bad, master. At least you get to spend some time with Tear." Mieu insisted. Luke sighed again. The little annoyance had a point, and a vacation would do him more good than bad. "Whatever." Luke grumbled, lifting his head from the ship's railing. He didn't feel like debating with the little cheagle.

He ran a hand through his blood-red curls, his free hand on his hip. His mother had suggested that he take a vacation away from Kimlasca. He initially refused at first, arguing that he had no place in particular that he wanted to go. Of course, his mother came up with just the perfect place. When she voiced her idea, Luke adamantly refused. He'd go anywhere else but that place. However, once his mother got the king to agree, there wasn't much he could do about it. King Ingobert literally ordered him to take this vacation. Not long after, he was thrown onto a ship and was ejected from his home-country.

Not only was Luke unfamiliar with the land of which he was visiting, it was _who_ he was going to visit that got him so riled up. He'd only met this man once in his life, but it was something he never wanted to repeat again. On the up-side, Tear had been selected to accompany him, for some reason. The King figured that she needed to relax just as much as Luke did, or so he said. Whether that was what the King truly meant or not, Luke agreed. Tear needed some time off from work, what with the poisonous miasma nearly destroying her body.

"... Luke?" She deserved this, he thought.

"Luke." After all, without her, many of his efforts would have gone to waste.

"Luke." She sacrificed just as much as he did--

"Luke!" Tear cried, shaking the swordsman from his thoughts. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Huh? What? What is it, Tear?" he asked, noting her slightly reddened face. The shouting must've brought the color to her cheeks, he figured.

"... I want to speak with you." She said, finally. He nodded, awaiting her questions. "... Can you tell me anything about the place we're visiting?" she asked. Luke arched an eyebrow. He really didn't know much, other than the land was home to the biggest jackass that he'd ever come to know. He'd never been there before, himself. "Well, I really don't know much. I've never been there, myself. Mother has, though. She's convinced it's a nice place." he answered. She nodded her comprehension. "Oh... I see."

Her face burned a bit more intensely, he noticed. Was it the heat getting to her? Her eyes were lowered, like she was avoiding his gaze. "It's pretty far away," he added, for the sake of keeping the conversation alive. "So, it's not surprising you haven't heard of it."

"Yeah." she agreed. Luke frowned, slightly. Since when was Tear so... shy? "Is there anything wrong, Tear? Your face is kinda red..." he murmured. Her eyes widened at the comment and she bit her lip. "N-no. I'm fine, Luke." she insisted. The red-headed replica didn't exactly look convinced. "Maybe you should turn in. It's getting late, anyway." he suggested.

She nodded weakly, turning away from the crimson swordsman. "O-okay." she stammered as she headed back to her room. As she disappeared at the other end of the ship, Luke mumbled to himself in confusion.

"What the hell's wrong with Tear? Is it the miasma?" he grumbled. Mieu hopped from the ship's railing, landing at his master's feet. The small monster bounced with excitement. "I bet Tear likes you, master! Tear will tell you when she's ready." he said. Luke glanced down at the ring-clad monster. He looked ready to kick the poor thing. "W-what? Don't be ridiculous, thing!" he retorted, frowning.

Then he sighed, running a hand through his locks once more. He feared that this "vacation" would likely stress him out more, rather than have the intended effect like it was supposed to. He was tired for the moment, however. He would grumble about how shitty his vacation was after bed. With Mieu in tow, he searched out his room, heading in and straight for the bed once he found it.

He plopped down without a word, and was asleep within minutes.

* * *

Tear closed her door with more force than she meant to, her breathing ragged. Leaning against the door's frame, she sighed in defeat. Her blush darkened, and she felt like an idiot.

_'Luke...'_ she groaned mentally. She normally didn't get like this in front of the swordsman, but she'd been having trouble controlling herself more and more, as of late. Hearing his voice made her shiver with desire. Seeing his exposed abdomen and ripped arms made her breathless. And, Yulia, when he touched her...

Tear shook her head, in a vain attempt at clearing her mind of such thoughts. The boy was just irresistible, she realized. He had a certain charm, a certain quality that – unlike Guy, who made her smile with the kind words he said to her, the small gestures he made – set her insides aflame. Never in her life had anyone ever made her feel so... so...

_hot. _Her blush began to spread down her neck at this point, and she bit her lip, the heat at her core becoming more intense, more ferocious. Was this why King Ingobert and Susanne insisted she join Luke on this vacation? A plot devised to get the two of them together? Tear banished the thoughts from her mind. The King would never pull such a stunt. Besides, Luke still had Natalia...

Yes, he was engaged to Natalia still, however unwilling the two were to marry. She visibly frowned at the thought of Luke marrying another woman. He... knew of her feelings, didn't he? _'Everyone else knows...'_ she thought to herself. The others in their party of nobles and soldiers thought it was blatantly obvious. She was practically throwing herself in his direction, waiting for him to scoop him up in his strong arms, stare greedily into her eyes, and...!

"O-oh, my..." Tear murmured, biting her lower lip even harder. When had she begun thinking of Luke in such a... lustful manner? She had never had this problem before! So, why...?

_'You need this... You need him...'_ An inner voice told her, one she knew to be true. However, her disciplined nature would not stand for this. Luke was her comrade, her partner in battle, her friend. He couldn't be anything more.

_'But... why?'_ she wondered. Why couldn't he be? Why couldn't there be anything more – anything _deeper_ – between them? She wanted him, ached for him, for his smile, his embrace, his _protection_. She needed every aspect of his being, for she feared she would drive herself crazy if she was denied the Kimlascan noble for much longer.

"Luke--!" she groaned, grinding her back further into the door to her room. She couldn't hold it any longer! She needed release, now! _'No.'_ But she would be damned if she would let herself have it, here and now. Fighting off her urges with all of her being, she forced herself into the bathroom, in desperate need of a cold shower.

She quickly disrobed, practically tearing the knob for cold water out of its place on the wall. The knight stepped in without hesitation once fully naked, letting the icy-cold blast of water wash over her unusually warm flesh.

Once she felt that she had significantly calmed down, she turned off the shower, and climbed out, exhausted and confused. Without bothering to change, she plopped down onto the comforter of her bed, completely naked. She was too tired for her lust-filled fantasies to re-capture her, however, and eventually feel into a peaceful sleep.

She decided that this vacation would be the most difficult thing she'd ever have to endure before she completely lost herself to dream-land.

* * *

"Master, your guests will be arriving shortly." the butler said politely, his voice calm and soothing.

"Hm? Is that right? Are the spare bedrooms ready?" the redheaded youth asked.

"Yes, sir." the butler replied evenly. "Good. Auntie Susanne sent this letter on such short notice that we didn't really have time to prepare. When will they be arriving at the port, Sebastian?" the handsome man inquired.

"They should arrive at the port by the evening, Master Zelos. Would you like me to escort them to the mansion?" the kind man offered. Zelos chuckled, with a slight nod. "If you would, Sebastian." he added. The taller male bowed slightly, before disappearing down a different corridor, no doubt to prepare the arrival of his Master's guests.

Zelos chuckled to himself, leaning against the balcony railing of his mansion. He gazed out towards the slowly setting sun, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"... Cousin Luke, eh? Wonder how you've been all these years." he whispered to no one in particular.

* * *

A/N: And that's it for the intro. Pretty short, I know. But it needed to be. To get the 'ol writing juices flowing, y'know? So, tell me what you guys think, please? Good or bad, your opinions are welcome.

To be honest, I'm not that proud of this chapter. Intro chapters are hard to write well, 'cos, they're used to snag the reader's attention, right? No one wants to keep reading through a story with a shit intro. Gah, I may go back and fix it later, but for now, this is what you get.


	2. Not Much of An Introduction

Behold. The second chapter to this adventure. There's really no excuse as to why I haven't updated in so long, so I'm not going to give one.

And I'd like to personally thank the-dark-flame-knight for reviewing the first chapter. Thanks, man. I appreciate the feedback.

Okay. Here we go.

* * *

**Not Much of A Vacation**

**Part 2**

"Would you kindly step this way, please?" The polite butler Sebastian requested, beckoning the trio into the mansion. "The master has been expecting you; he's right this way." he added, as he held opened the door for the three visitors. Luke nodded his thanks, pulling his luggage along as he stepped inside of the large, beautiful home of one of the most renowned men on this side of the world.

Luke had to admit: he was quite impressed with the state of his host's home. Tear and Mieu, however, had never seen something so marveling. "Wow!" Mieu chirped. "Master, this is better than your place!" he laughed. Luke frowned, genuinely offended. "You're really starting to upset me, thing." he growled. Tear giggled at the viscount's reaction, though, she found part of herself agreeing with the small, furry cheagle.

"Are you the only one who works here?" Tear found herself asking, turning to Sebastian. The taller man gave a slight nod. "Indeed, miss." he answered. Luke whistled, impressed. "Sure must be a lot of work, maintaining things here all by yourself." Sebastian smirked. "Not at all, sir Luke. The master and his companions all contribute their share of work to keep this mansion in top shape." he replied.

"Is that so?" Luke mumbled to himself. Sebastian led the trio into the spacious living room of the mansion. He slowed to a halt, turning to the mansion's guest. He bowed politely, his right arm crossing his chest. "My apologies. The master shall be arriving shortly." He said. Tear cocked an eyebrow in interest, turning to her redheaded companion. "Luke." she called.

He glanced in her direction, his eyes half-lidded.

"What is it, Tear?" he inquired.

"Who is this "Master"--," she turned to the butler, as he righted himself. "You may call me Sebastian, my lady." he answered. "--Sebastian keeps referring to?" she finished. Luke's facial expression was not one she would have expected; the boy looked upset for one who was supposed to be on vacation. "Well, he's--," Luke began, but the sound of a louder voice cut the replica's voice off.

"Hey! Cousin Luke!" the voice hollered. Tear and Mieu both glanced to the top of the staircase, where a tall man stood. Tear's eyes first made contact with the fiery, blood red curls of the man atop the staircase. He seemed quite muscular for a noble, clad in combinations of pink, gold, black, and white clothing. His sky blue eyes made direct contact with Tear's. His eyes peered into her soul he stared at her so hard! He was quite handsome, she thought to herself. Then her eyes shifted onto the man beside her. He called Luke cousin, didn't he? Yes. She could definitely see the resemblance between them. Luke was slightly smaller than this handsome stranger, however. They could almost be confused as being twins were they the exact same size and eye-color.

"... Cousin?" she murmured before she could stop herself. Luke made a noise that gave off the impression that he was a little more than annoyed. "Yeah." he confirmed.

"Ah, yes. Master Zelos, your guests are here." Sebastian informed the young master. Zelos grinned, waving the polite butler off. "Thanks, but I can see that for myself, Sebastian." he replied. Zelos descended down the staircase, his grin becoming wider and wider with each step he took. When he reached the bottom, he held his arms out wide, chuckling as he did so.

"Come now, Luke. Don't you want to greet your big cousin with a hug?" He teased. Luke scoffed, his grip on his luggage tightening. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to." he answered in a harsh tone. Zelos lowered his arms, shrugging as he continued to chuckle. "Fair enough. I'm not really into hugging guys in the first place." he replied in his deep voice.

Tear was surprised, a bit. She hadn't expected a voice like that from the man. By glancing at him, she would never be able to place such a deep, attractive voice on one like him. Of course, he was a very handsome man, but at the same time, Tear thought he looked rather... girly.

"So," the curly-haired redhead began, fixing his eyes on Tear. "Who's your friend? Girlfriend? Wife? Lover, perhaps?" he asked. Tear's eyes widened, taken aback by his blunt nature. "W-what?! What the hell are you talking about?" Luke sputtered, obviously not expecting his cousin to refer to someone he hadn't even met yet so... so... disrespectfully.

"Oh," Zelos grinned, realizing what he'd done. "Where are my manners?" he apologized, bowing to the woman before him. He gently took her hand, giving it a firm squeeze as he introduced himself. "I am Zelos Wilder, owner of this fine mansion. I apologize for my rude manner of addressing you before, my lady." he spoke in a soft tone, as if he had matured into a remarkable gentleman within the last five seconds.

"If I may, who might you be?" he inquired. Straightening her posture, Tear gathered herself, answering clearly. " Locrian Colonel Tear Grants of the Oracle Knights. It is always a pleasure to meet an acquaintance of Luke's." she answered. Luke buried his face into his palms, embarrassed. Did Tear really have to introduce herself like that?

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" a voice, barely a foot off the ground called. Zelos released Tear's hand, looking around, confused. "... The hell was that?" he said. He looked down once he felt something tugging at his pants leg. He stared down into the round, furry face of a cheagle. "Hi! I'm Mieu." To say Zelos was surprised by a talking monster in his home would have been an understatement.

Luke found himself chuckling as he cousin nearly jumped to the other side of the mansion, stricken with surprise. "I-is that a talking monster!? How's it talking!?" he freaked out. "With the Sorcerer's Ring, silly!" Mieu teased, bouncing up and down in amusement. "This thing won't stop following me around. I hope it's not too inconvenient for you." Luke grumbled, his words dripping with sarcasm. Zelos slowly regained his composure, acting as if the whole ordeal never happened.

"Of course. The ring. Ahem. It's not an inconvenience at all, cousin. I'd be happy to accommodate your... pet." the Chosen of Mana replied. He ran a hand through his fiery red curls as he calmed himself. "Sebastian. If you would, show these three to their rooms." he requested. Sebastian bowed, already handling Tear's luggage up the staircase. "This way, please." he beckoned. Tear stole another glance at Luke, staring Zelos down. "Thanks for letting us stay here, I guess." he managed to say, before following the kind butler up the stairs. Tear nodded Zelos' direction, silently thanking the man for the accommodations. He waved it off, smiling. "Don't worry about it. If it makes Auntie happy, it's worth it." he said.

She hurried up the stairs after Luke.

* * *

"Luke." Tear called, her tone serious.

"What?" the boy answered.

"Is there some ill blood between you and Zelos?" she asked. Luke scoffed. "He's not my favorite relative in the world, no." he replied, dodging the question.

"Is everything alright, Luke?" she asked, her tone softer. Luke turned towards the brunette, offering her a smile. "Don't worry, Tear. I'm fine." he reassured her. She couldn't say for sure whether she believed him or not. He seemed a lot more tense all of a sudden, ever since they boarded the vessel to Meltokio.

She wanted to reach out, and hold the Kimlascan warrior in her arms. She wanted to comfort him, be able to dig down into his core to find what was causing him to be so aggressive to his cousin he'd only been reintroduced to minutes earlier. Had something happened in their childhood? She bit her lip, afraid to tread further into his emotions. She figured he must have had good reason for attempting to mask his emotions. As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't close enough to him where he would come to her, sharing his problems with her, as much as she wished she was.

"Please try not to trouble the Young Master that much during your visit here, sir Luke. He's been through a lot, as of late." Sebastian warned.

"I'm not troubling anyone." Luke retorted. "Just try not to do anything stupid, okay?" Tear said, more harshly than she wanted to. Luke sucked his teeth, slightly hurt by the comment. "Yeah, whatever." he grumbled in compliance. Tear mentally punched herself. She should have tried a different approach; a more gentle one. _'Damn it.'_ She thought.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, before she could tell herself to do otherwise. "... What?" he asked, confused.

"I shouldn't have said that." she clarified, refusing to meet his gaze. "Don't worry about it." he reassured her. "I'm not gonna embarrass you, if that's what you're worried about." he added.

Though that's not what she had really meant by her comment, Luke's response elicited a smile from the soldier. "Here we are." Sebastian's words pierced her thoughts. She noticed that the four of them were standing in a hallway, with doors to either side of them. "Sir Luke, your room is this one." Sebastian pointed out, directing Luke to the door he was referring to. "Hm. Thanks, Jeffrey." he replied.

"Sebastian." the kind man corrected.

"Yeah, that. Sorry." he apologized, embarrassed. Opening the door, the Kimlascan noble disappeared inside, his luggage and the tiny cheagle in tow.

"Your room is this way, madam Tear." Sebastian called, directing the young lady to her room across the hall. Tear nodded, following the man into the room. He dropped her luggage onto the floor, before bowing politely. "I hope you will enjoy your stay here, miss." he said, before making his leave, closing the door behind him.

Tear watched him go, her eyes trailing to her luggage after she heard his footsteps fade down the hall.

She set to unpacking.

* * *

A/N: I felt this chapter was quite... empty. Didn't really like it. Ah, well. Review if you like.


	3. Not Much of a Battle

Wow. It's been what, two years since I last updated this fic? That's crazy. I forgot all about it until I stumbled upon it by accident. I thought I might as well finish what I started, y'know? Think I have a pretty solid premise here.

**Not Much of a Vacation**

**Part 3**

* * *

"Oh, cool. Looks like they've got a coliseum here too," Luke stared up in wonder at the building, anticipation beginning to swell in his chest. The young warrior began to grin. "I wonder how tough the matches are." He said. Mieu glanced at his master, the young cheagle sitting atop the boy's shoulders. "Are you thinking of entering, Master?" he inquired, tilting his head to the side as he asked the question. Luke nodded, not turning to face the monster as he began to advance toward the structure, absolutely giddy inside. Meltokio might not have been so bad after all, he thought inwardly. It was certainly too long since he had any sort of real practice with his sword—he felt his techniques were beginning to go to waste. It would be a good thing for him to participate in the coliseum; he could make sure he didn't become too rusty during his vacation. Guy would absolutely whip him the next time they sparred if he didn't keep in top shape. His mind made up, he entered the coliseum, striding up to the counter.

"Excuse me," he began in a loud enough voice to grab the attention of the girl behind the counter. She turned to him, smiling brightly.

"Yes?" she answered.

"I'd like to participate in the coliseum's battles, if that's possible." He said. He could barely contain himself, he was so eager to fight.

"Well, luckily for you, registration for the advanced battles is almost over. You still have time to register if you'd like." She responded. Luke grinned, satisfied.

"How much?" he asked.

"Sixteen thousand gald to participate, sir." She said without pause. Luke visibly flinched before reaching into his pockets. His various adventures had taught him the value of money and frugality; he often wasn't so eager to spend money as freely as he once did when he was a sheltered child. Still, this was for a good cause, and he was on vacation after all. He was sure Tear would understand when she inevitably asked him how much money he spent later—at least, he hoped she would. Pulling out the correct amount of gald, he slid it across the counter to the girl, watching as she counted it swiftly. Once she finished, she slid a few sheets of paper and a pen across the counter, noting Luke's confused expression as she did so.

"These are your registration forms and waivers," she began, "absolving us of all responsibility should you get hurt or otherwise. This is a dangerous sport, after all." She clarified. Luke nodded, understanding her reasoning. He began to fill out the paper in silence, as his blue-furred companion looked on from his shoulder, trying to keep his balance so he didn't accidentally slide off. The redheaded noble paused, coming to a line he didn't quite understand. "What do you mean by 'title'?" he asked, looking up at the young woman. She smiled, giggling despite Luke's sincere gaze.

"What would you like to be announced as when you enter your matches? That's your title. Whatever you wish." She clarified. Luke made an 'O' shape with his mouth, feeling a bit silly he hadn't guessed that himself. _'What should my title be?'_ he thought to himself. He needed something that would get the spectator's attention, something that everyone would remember once he wiped the floor with the competition. _'… Wait, I've got an idea… Yes, that'd be a great title—funny, too. I knew I hadn't packed that costume for nothing!'_ He grinned inwardly, jotting down the name of his title with more enthusiasm than he had filling out the rest of the paper. Feeling accomplished, he slid the papers back across the counter, a confident smirk beginning to tug at the corners of his lips as he pointed to a particular line.

"I'd like this to be my title." He said. She looked to where his finger was pressed against the paper work, reading. Looking back up at him, particularly into his blood red locks of hair, she smiled. "Well, it fits." She responded, shrugging. She jabbed a thumb behind her shoulder, gesturing to the room behind her. "The waiting rooms are down that way, that's where you'll wait until it's your turn to go out. I'll make sure the announcer gets your title right." She explained. Luke's grin grew wider and he nodded, striding past the desk. He reached up to his shoulder and grabbed his companion around the body without skipping a beat. "Stay here, thing." He commanded as he pulled Mieu from his shoulder, setting the little one down. "I'll be back later. I need to go and get ready." He proceeded into the waiting rooms, every fiber of his being itching for battle. He couldn't contain his excitement. He'd only been in Meltokio for two days and his was ready to make his mark on the city. The battles he fought here would serve to prove his mettle as a warrior within the walls of the city, battles the citizens of Meltokio would not soon forget.

* * *

Sheena Fujibayashi sighed as she collapsed on the bench, yet another battle won. Her muscles ached, her feet were sore, and her chest swelled with excitement and the thrill of battle. She had taken down yet another contender in the coliseum—several in fact. Three swordsmen and a mage, yet their combined efforts were still not enough to stave off the excellence of the Mizuho kunoichi and she dispatched them all handily. It was a fierce battle, one that left her partially exhausted, but she still had more fights to go. Her next match was one that seemed it would be particularly difficult. She had heard the other contestants gossiping about a new warrior who had joined the competition today, one who was making short work of his adversaries. Sheena hadn't bothered to watch his matches, but from the things she was hearing, it sounded like he'd be a worthy challenge to her ninjutsu. While she had the time to rest her screaming muscles, she focused. Taking a deep breath, she willed her body to calm itself with sheer mental power alone, feeling the aches and pains begin to slowly fade away. She ignored her fellow competitors as they proceeded to their own matches, focusing exclusively on maintaining her meditative state.

She did this regularly. Pushed her body to its very limits in order to get stronger; as a ninja of Mizuho, she had no choice. She needed to be in perfect condition to stave off any threat that may occur, so she trained relentlessly. She often trained alone, in hidden locations unbeknownst to any but a select few so she could perfect her techniques in peace, but sometimes she liked to test herself against the warriors the coliseum had to offer. She found that she was never pushed to her limit more than when she was facing off against actual opponents and the fights gave her a thrill that her solitary training just couldn't provide on its own. As she focused her inner energy more and more, she could feel her body returning itself to prime fighting condition. Using her expertly trained mind, she was accessing potential within herself that most normal humans didn't know even existed. She was using her body to its full capacity, increasing her abilities to extraordinary levels.

'_Almost… There…'_ she thought as her meditation neared its completion. Feeling refreshed and ready for battle, she sighed again. She felt relieved at the absence of pain and aching while she flexed her muscles; her ninja training was truly a marvelous thing. She stood and stretched, groaning in satisfaction at the feeling of her bones and joints popping. Rolling her neck, she grinned. "I hope this guy's as good as everyone's saying he is." She said to no one in particular. "It'd be a real shame to find out that he's not on par with me." While not one to brag, Sheena was quite confident in her abilities. She trained endlessly; her strength often went unparalleled. She was sure she could count the people who could take her in a one-on-one fight on one hand. One of them was no longer even in the country, she mused. She wondered to herself what kind of fighter this contender was. Was he a brawler, or a martial artist? Maybe he a swordsman or mage, or some combination of the two—either way, Sheena was getting beside herself with excitement. Her mind and body both primed for battle, she was eager to test herself; to make another push to get even stronger.

When she heard the buzzing of the intercom, a competitive smirk crossed her face.

"That's my cue."

* * *

"And now, for a battle that none of you will soon forget!" the announcer cried, the crowd roaring in response.

"These two contestants have made short work of their competition, proving time and time again that they were just in a whole other class of their own!" More roars from the crowd, the spectators eager for the next fight. Their cries for battle were almost deafening, but the announcer continued despite the noise.

"For our first contestant: a proud kunoichi from the hidden village of Mizuho, her quick moves and fierce determination has left each of her opponents in the dust! Give it up for… Sheena Fujibayashi!" Sheena appeared onto the field as soon as she heard her name called, folding her arms across her chest as the crowd shouted her name and made other noises.

"And for our second contestant: a newcomer in our proud city of Meltokio, this young man's strong spirit and devastating moves have made his competition look like bumbling idiots! Give it up for the Crimson Flame of Kimlasca, the Fire of Justice… Abyss Red!" the announcer cried with gusto, no apparent hint of embarrassment present in his voice for having to announce such a ridiculous title.

Sheena, however, felt embarrassed for him. She frowned as her opponent entered, taking in his rather… odd costume.

'_This is who I have to fight against?'_

The man before her stood in an elaborate body suit of red and black coloring, with long black knee-high boots plated with metal along with a bright red helmet that covered his entire visage. He looked like something right out of a child's imagination, Sheena thought. Who did he think he was, a superhero? He struck a pose, thrusting a fist into the air as the crowd howled in anticipation. Sheena could vaguely make out the shape of a sheathed sword strapped horizontally to his lower back; a swordsman then, she thought.

"Fighters! You may begin!"

Abyss Red immediately took a fighting stance, crouching low to the ground and readying himself. Sheena kept her arms folded, visibly upset. "What's with the lame get-up?" she taunted. "Is this some kind of joke?" she grumbled. Her opponent said nothing, holding his ground with an unnerving silence. Her frown deepened. "Are you listening to me?" She asked through her now gritted teeth.

"Hey! Answer me—,"

"Demon Fist!" With unparalleled speed, Abyss Red swung his arm in a vertical arc, creating a fierce shockwave that nearly bowled Sheena over. Barely able to register his movement, she stepped to the side at the very last possible second, the force of the shockwave sending her hair and clothing billowing in every direction. It impacted the far wall behind her, causing a loud explosion. Before she could gather her bearings completely, Red was on the move, rushing towards her, completely battle-ready. He struck out at her with his fists and legs, hammering at her with speed and power she couldn't believe as she struggled to maintain a defense to counter him. He was truly as strong as she heard, she realized. She blocked and parried in a frenzy, turning aside his punches, kicks and chops in a frenzy. Breaking off his assault, he aimed his fist at the ground beneath her feet, swinging with amazing force. "Demon Fist!" the resulting shockwave knocked her off her feet and sent her tumbling through the air. He crouched low to the ground before leaping after her, assaulting her with a flurry of mid-air kicks. "Swallow Fury!" he hollered, hammering her body with his crushing blows. Sheena gasped in pain as the wind was pounded from her lungs, her eyes widening in pain.

Capitalizing on his advantage, the ranger reached for his sheathed blade, slashing at Sheena it mid-air. The skilled kunoichi regained her composure just in time, turning her body away from the blade before the fight was brought to a swift end. She landed on the ground with a hard thud, rolling to her feet and assuming a fighting stance. She took a deep breath, regaining the lost air that was stolen from her lungs by her blows, noting the brand new tear in her clothing from his blade. He landed gracefully, sheathing his sword and crossing his arms in what she could only assume was pure smugness. The crowd went absolutely nuts.

"Still think this is a joke?" he said, his tone revealing a hint of amusement.

"Well… You surprised me. So, to be fair, I'd say you won the first round." Sheena admitted, inwardly preparing for her retaliation assault.

"But, you won't have that advantage again. Now the real fight begins!" This time, it was Sheena who initiated the first attack. With honed speed and practiced precision, she was upon the costumed warrior almost before he could put up his guard. He blocked and parried what he could, but she was faster. Slipping past his guard, she landed punches to his face, landed kicks to his legs, chops to his joints. She was attacking spots where she figured he would be weakest, kicking at his inner knees to throw him off balance before following up with blows to his inner elbows to knock his arms away. As he began to slip, Sheena capitalized on her newfound opening, with strikes she had practiced a thousand times before. He grunted in pain as her strikes hit home, hoping she bought herself more time to continue her onslaught. Predicting his attempt to move away from her, Sheena hooked her foot around his heel, pulling his legs apart and further off balance. Turning into a spin, she slammed into his chest with her opposite foot, although it was turned slightly off-course by his returning arm. Continuing her spin, she produced a paper charm from her person, slapping it onto her opponent's defending arm.

"Pyre Seal!" The charm exploded in a brilliant blaze of mana, sending her opponent sprawling across the landscape, rolling painfully along the ground. She quickly gave chase, landing kicks to his exposed abdomen as she led him along the ground with her practiced footwork. Eventually, he recovered, grabbing hold of her shin and using the force of her kick to push himself back into a favorable position. Without hesitation, he ducked under her incoming leg and landed an uppercut to her chin, effectively halting her assault. He leapt into the air, slamming his knee into her forehead, bruising the skin and jerking her head back with surprising force. Grabbing her arms upon landing, he yanked her toward his awaiting knee, driving it painfully into her gut. She wheezed in pain as the wind was knocked from her diaphragm once more, virtually powerless against her adversary.

He tossed her over his shoulder, turning to deliver a kick to her falling frame—Sheena was ready, however, willing her arms into action. She grabbed hold of the incoming leg, flipping off of it and out of range. She landed away from him on all fours, gasping heavily, her eyes wide. His attacks were like being hit with a force she'd never felt before! The man's frame betrayed the power his blows possessed. She wondered if she could fight him head on like this. Direct hits like the previous one were quickly draining her stamina; she couldn't afford to be gasping for air the entire fight. He wasn't about to let her recover, just as she hadn't given him the opportunity. He advanced, leaping high and the air and striking down at her with his foot.

"Havoc Strike!"

She rolled out of the way in time, jumping to her feet and moving into a strafe around him. She knew she was faster, so she would use that to her advantage. She closed in before he could recover from his attack, leaping over him and slapping another paper charm on his back. It exploded violently, sending him spiraling painfully into the dirt. She landed and immediately began formulating hand signs that she had memorized. She thrust her hand out in his direction, a fierce wind kicking up near him.

"Cyclone Seal!"

The hellish winds whipped at both of them, though he was much closer to the attack's origin point. He was launched high into the air by the spell, and she began to cast another, determined to keep him pinned between her attacks. Tucking his legs into his stomach, he back-flipped into an upright position in mid-air, he brandished his weapon once more. Sheena figured he was beginning to get desperate and so continued with her spell, casting another Cyclone Seal. She was surprised when he slammed his blade into the ground, carving up gravel and rocks from the arena floor to be sucked up into the whipping winds. "Slag Assault!" he hollered. The debris blanketed the entire area in a sandstorm, forcing her to cover her eyes to avoid being blinded. She cursed herself—her opponent had no such worries, wearing a helmet and all. _'Damn it! That was careless of me!'_ she berated to herself, leaping away from the whipping sands and howling winds, wondering what her opponent would come up with next.

The Abyssman didn't keep her waiting and Sheena tensed her muscles when she felt the ground begin to slightly rumble around her. "You won't get away—Devil's Maw!" Red shouted, slamming his sword into the ground again. Sheena thought that she heard the very Earth screaming its contempt at her as it broke apart, shooting shards of rock and gravel out of the sandstorm into her direction. She bobbed and weaved as best she could but was still peppered by stray shots of earth despite her best efforts. _'He's starting to use more powerful artes! I guess he's pulling out all the stops now.'_ Sheena winced in pain, her breathing ragged. She was beginning to wear down, but she couldn't tell how _he_ was faring. _'I have to finish this now!'_ Sheena leapt into action, dodging the remaining flying debris and brandishing a new charm. It glowed with a bright light, clearing the sandstorm in an instant. She leapt at her opponent, crying out as he readied his blade.

"Demon Seal!" A bright flash of light, and the charm pulsated with energy as it met with Abyss Red's blade in a fearsome clash. Undeterred in the slightest, Sheena produced more and more paper charms, attacking and defending against Red's blade with a ferocity that no other contestant present could possibly match. The two were locked in combat, their movements a blur to untrained eyes. Red slashed and thrust, his blade meeting Sheena's charms every single time. His movements were fluid and powerful, each attack flowing into the next. Sheena's defense was just as routine. Both combatants were locked in an elaborate dance of attacks, blocks, parries and their focus was unshakable. Red jumped, flipping over her head and striking out with his blade. Sheena met him in an overhead block, pressing his attack until he touched ground again. He swung low upon his landing but Sheena jumped, leaping over his head the same as he had done. She landed and without even turning thrust her hand out behind her, her attempt blocked by the flat of Red's blade. She grit her teeth in frustration and pushed forward with all her strength, and to her surprise Red let up his defense, causing her to throw off her balance using her own momentum. He reared back his fist, and she could feel the ground quake beneath them.

"I've got you now! Rending Quake!" When he brought his fist back for an uppercut, the shockwave was so fierce that the very earth beneath her feet jut up as if it was attempting to swallow her whole. Sheena rolled to the side, avoiding the very first pillar that would have hammered her to oblivion. She continued her retreat, continuously back-flipping away as the landscape exploded in front of her, pillars of earth shooting up every which way. Performing handsigns mid-flip, Sheena conjured a Cyclone Seal right beneath her landing feet. She was immediately thrown back into the air, high over the newly risen pillars. Red jumped from pillar to pillar, rising to meet her in mid-air. With mighty screams from both of their lungs, they collided in a ferocious boom, their bodies becoming a mass of tangled limbs and pain as they tumbled through the air, slamming through the pillars and crashing into the ground painfully. Sheena landed on top of Red, her elbows driving hard into his chest but the impact was enough to throw her frame from him and they both rolled and tumbled until they slid to a halt, Red's sword sliding away from them as they lay in crumpled heaps.

The crowd went silent.

"Wow! What a fearsome exchange! These two combatants have demonstrated to us what it truly means to possess a warrior's spirit! But do they have the strength to continue!?" the announcer cried into his microphone.

Sheena groaned, coughing up blood while wheezing in intense pain. Red was in similar condition, his costume sporting several tears in various areas and his mask appearing severely cracked. "Damn, you're tough. You're much stronger than I thought you'd be." The kunoichi sputtered through gritted teeth. The Abyssman's heavy breathing and struggled movements were her only real response. Sheena forced herself to her feet through sheer willpower alone, energy swirling around her. "But it's time to finish this." She muttered. Her adversary dragged himself to his feet as well, grunting all the way. His sword was still thrown a ways away from him, but he didn't seem to mind. Sheena channeled her inner mana, focusing intently as she gathered up every last bit of energy she had left. She could feel Abyss Red doing the same, although his aura felt different, strangely foreign, yet similar all the same.

"And they're back up! It looks like this is the final exchange! Who's going to come out on top?!" The crowd remained silent, looking on in anticipation.

Sheena cupped her hands at her side, crouching low as her mana began to solidify between her fingers. Forcing more of her power into her fingertips, the swirling ball of energy grew more and more. The Abyssman straightened his posture, pillars of his aura swirling around him in a brilliant radiance of azure. His mask began to crack from the sheer pressure of the energy, and Sheena could vaguely make out locks of red hair peeking through.

'_Zelos?!'_ She thought. _'No, that can't be, but then, who…?'_ she quickly shook such inquiries from her head, for the sake of her concentration.

"This is your last chance to give up. It all goes downhill from here—this is my most powerful technique!" Sheena warned.

Her opponent showed no hints of fear despite her warnings however, and she smiled despite her words having the opposite intended effect.

"Damn it, you ruined my mask! This was a gift, you know!" Abyss Red cried, his energy flowing much more fiercely to match the tone in his voice. The remnants of his mask began crumbling away, revealing his visage to Sheena and the spectators watching from the bleachers.

"Zelos…?" she murmured.

"Don't you dare compare me to that idiot! I'm nothing like him! Let's finish this!" Her opponent screamed, thrusting his hands out in front of him.

"Let's! Mana Cannon!" Sheena fired her attack with everything she had, her mana pouring forth from her hands in a brilliant blaze of energy. Her opponent tensed, screaming his defiance as his own energy met hers in protest. The two gave it everything they had, their combined auras whipping about, discoloring the very air around them. The shockwave it produced was deafening, but they weren't about to give up so easily. Harder they pushed their bodies, forcing themselves to their absolute limit to maintain the constant output of power.

"I—I can't!" Sheena sputtered, her arms beginning to give way. She couldn't give up! She wouldn't give up! This was how she pushed herself! This was how she got stronger. Pushing herself to her limits, then breaking past them. She persevered, despite the screaming of her muscles. Abyssman Red was having similar difficulty, the force of their attacks beginning to push him backwards through the dirt. With mighty yells from both combatants, their energies simultaneously exploded, sending them both tumbling in opposite directions.

* * *

"The hell was that?" Zelos grumbled from his balcony, hearing a particularly loud sound.

"I believe it came from the coliseum, sir." Sebastian said casually as he strode by. "Wait." He said before the man got out of earshot. Sebastian paused, awaiting orders. "Where's cousin Luke?" he questioned. "Is he with Tear?" Sebastian shook his head, his white mustache swaying with the movement. "No, I don't believe so, young master." He answered simply. Zelos sighed in exasperation, hiding his face in his palm.

"That idiot," he grumbled. "Auntie Susanne'll kill me if that kid goes and gets his head blown off."

"Would you like me to retrieve him, sir?" Sebastian asked. Zelos shook his head.

"That won't be necessary. He likely wouldn't listen to me, anyway. I trust him to have common sense enough to not cripple himself on his vacation." He said.

Sebastian nodded, understanding. "Will that be all, sir?" he inquired. "Have you seen our busty locrian colonel anywhere?" he grinned devilishly. Unfazed by his language, Sebastian answered. "I do remember her asking about the various shops within the area," he confessed. "Perhaps she went shopping?" then he turned and resumed down the hall. Zelos watched him go; turning and leaning against the balcony railing on his forearms once the butler was out of sight.

"Well, at least it won't be as boring around here for a while." He shrugged, grinning.

* * *

And that chapter was the longest yet! I wanted to make it much longer, but decided it'd be better to cut it off right here.

Hope you enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing the fight scene. I promise the next chapter won't take two years!


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